Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Goods



So I watched this movie that has totally freaked me out about our food. I'm sure you've heard of it... "Food, Inc." I happened to watch it as our neighborhood was planning a community garden. Long story short, I've become more interested in growing and preserving my own food. I have taken a few permaculture classes and become a supporter of buying locally and unprocessed foods. This has been my first summer of learning how to can. I've spent many evenings peeling and chopping, stirring over a hot stove, and searching for room to store my cans. It is a lot of work, but it has been very fulfilling. We have two tiny fruit trees: a pear and a sour cherry. I canned the pears in syrup and made jelly out of the sour cherries. (I borrowed my mother-in-law's juicer and seriously need one of those babies.) She also gave us a ton of her apples, so I went to a friend's who taught me how to make cinnamon apples and also refrigerator pickles. Since then I have been devoted to shopping at the local farmer's market. I even found grass fed beef there for much less than at the organic food store. I bought boxes of peaches and tomatoes to make my own salsa. I also have been offered fruits that are an annoyance to people like crab apples or small sour apples. I've experimented in jellies and jams and continue to look for recipes. I'm so excited about it. I want to try vegetables, but I haven't gotten comfortable enough with a pressure cooker.








I have always frowned on being a housewife or "domestic." The word domestic still gets stuck at the back of my throat. After becoming a mother, however, my view has changed. It's damn hard work doing for yourself. I've been spoiled paying for small conveniences with no clue as to how much work those things really are. The cost of convenience is much higher than I originally thought. Yeah, the price tag is cheaper, but what I lose is much more than I could count with pennies. My goal is to become more self sufficient, and I have continued to learn more about alternative energy, harvesting rain, and growing my own food.







So, these are a few of the things I've been working on. It's been a busy summer. If you have any tips, resources or advice on self sufficiency, growing your own food, permaculture or canning, please share. Blue skies!

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